Dawn of the Avatar
by TheLayer0p
Summary: Shen, the first earthbending Avatar, must master all four elements and maintain balance in a rapidly changing world.
1. Chapter 1

Fire. Air. Water. Earth. Long ago, a firebender named Wan undertook a journey to master all four elements and imprison the dark spirit Vaatu. At the Harmonic convergence, Wan merged with the light spirit Raava and became the first Avatar. It is the duty of all subsequent Avatars to master all four elements and maintain balance in the world.

Shen dozed as the cart rocked underneath him, the stars slowly fading as the day broke. The dragon moose pulling the cart grunted sleepily as the kind man flicked the reins.

"So where are you headed" the kind man asked, not looking at Shen.

"West," Shen told him brusquely.

"Just 'West'?" the kind man prodded after a few moments, "You don't have any specific destination in mind?"

"I'm looking for some people." Shen answered.

"Friends? Acquaintances?" the kind man asked, "Enemies? Maybe I know who you're looking for."

"Nothing like that," Shen admitted, "I've never met them, but I'm supposed to train with them."

"Well, you seem to have this whole life thing figured out," the kind man laughed dryly, "I won't trouble you about it anymore. What was your name, by the way?"

Shen said nothing, but held up a hand to silence the old man. In the gloom beyond the cart, he could hear faint whispering. He had just lowered his hand when a rock about the size of his torso flew out of the darkness. Shen instantly leapt from the cart and made contact with a swift kick to the rock, shattering it into dust.

His feet hit the ground and he immediately thrust his fists out in front of him, hurtling his own rock back at the gloom. For a few seconds, nothing happened, and then someone charged at Shen, a knife held high in the air. Shen swiftly and easily ducked under the man's arm and threw an uppercut in his direction, creating a spike of earth that found the man's shoulder blade and tossed him bodily through the air. Without hesitating, Shen spun on the spot, kicking the spike and cleaving a portion out of the middle. The momentum carried the rock through the air and into the chest of another man waiting in the darkness.

Shen stood motionless then, waiting for the next attacker. After a few moments of inaction, he began to relax, and another spike of earth erupted directly in front of him. He managed to throw himself backward in time to avoid being knocked unconscious, but as he fell to the ground, he could hear footsteps coming toward him. He turned his head and saw a cloaked figure stopping a few feet away, ready for a fight. He felt his back make contact with the ground and he spun on his shoulder, lashing out with all of his limbs and sending a barrage of thin slabs of stone at the figure. He rose to his feet and watched his opponent spin and dodge all his projectiles save the last one, which was stopped with a solid fist.

"Who are you?" Shen asked loudly, tensed and ready to move.

The figure said nothing as its gaze visibly moved between Shen and the kind man on the cart. A gloved hand came to the top of a shrouded head, and a thick wave of dark hair tumbled out.

"You're pretty good, kid," a gentle voice sounded from the figure, and a gently angled, middle-aged woman's face appeared. She was smiling softly, and there was no anger or glee or fear in her eyes. Shen was too stunned to move for a fraction of a second, and was nearly decapitated for it. He ducked quickly, feeling the rush of air as the sword passed above his head. He turned and locked his feet where they were, throwing one fist into his would-be killer's knee and the other down into the ground.

One hand met little resistance as the swordsman fell backwards with a broken leg, and the other opened just before it reached the dirt, so that his palm was down and his fingers were spread wide. Behind him, he heard the woman's grunt as a small wall shot up in front of her, trapping her hands and retreating to pull her into a kneeling position. Shen slowly stood and let out a deep breath, relaxing his shoulders. All together, the skirmish had lasted for little more than a minute.

Shen walked toward the woman, wary of any trick's she might pull. When he was standing in front of her, he twisted one of his feet and the woman's restraints disappeared. She quickly rose to her feet, rubbing her wrists and eyeing him cautiously.

"Why did you do that?" the woman asked venomously after a few moments of awkward silence.

"I could ask you the same thing," Shen said emotionlessly, "This man doesn't have anything worth stealing; he's a farmer, not a merchant."

"Could've fooled me," the woman said, annoyed, "These are hard times. Everybody's got something worth stealing if you've got the patience."

Shen stared hard at her for several moments without speaking. He kept trying to look her in the eye, but she would always glance away. "Who are you?" Shen repeated after giving up.

The woman rolled her eyes with a sigh and said "My name is Ming. These idiots," she gestured around with one arm at the unconscious men, "are my associates. Actually, at this point, they've pretty much become my family."

Another few minutes passed as nobody said anything. The kind man's dragon moose chewed at the grass lazily as the sun rose in the distance. Eventually, Shen moved to the back of the cart and slung a bag over his shoulder. He walked back to Ming and spoke directly to her.

"I suggest you make sure none of your associates are seriously injured," Shen told her, "I broke his leg, so he won't be able to walk for a while, and your wrist is fractured, at best. There's a town, about two days' walk that way," Shen jerked his head the way that he and the kind man had come from, "Try not to rob any more people on your way there."

Shen brushed past her and stopped when he was even with the front of the cart. He stared out at the horizon as the sun climbed up into the sky behind him.

"I'm Shen," he said, just loud enough for the kind man to hear, "And I'm looking for the sun warriors. Ever heard of them?"

"They're at least a week's journey from here," the kind man said sympathetically.

"I was afraid you'd say that," Shen said dryly.

"I can take you about halfway," the kind man offered, "Just say the word."

"Thank you," Shen said, grateful, "but I think I need to make my own way from here on out. Stay safe." Without another word, Shen began walking. Long after he had left the cart and the kind man and Ming behind, when the sun was at the top of the sky, he looked back from the bottom of the valley. He saw no people from where he had come from, so he turned and continued on to the mountains ahead.


	2. Chapter 2

Massive triangular shapes loomed high above the trees as Shen picked his way through the undergrowth. The canopy of leaves above his head cast splotchy shadows around his feet that made travel treacherous. The bag on his back was light and nearly empty, with only a few crumbs of bread and a small journal weighing it down. His head hung low on his chest as he stumbled through the trees and his vision grew steadily darker. Before long, he had fallen to his knees and dragged himself to sit against the trunk of a tree. He awkwardly fumbled around with the bag until he had the bits of bread all in his hand. He threw his head back, swallowing all of the bread whole, and then experienced a short but painful coughing fit as the food sucked all the moisture out of his mouth.

He laid against the tree for what felt like hours, his breathing fitful and ragged. The shadows shifted and danced around him, but he could not see the sun from his position, so he had no notion of the time when he finally regained his feet. Shen resumed his trek on unsteady legs and the wind slowly began to stir around him. His belly complained with every step, but he ignored it and urged himself further. After another few hours of walking, the light had disappeared from around his feet. He looked up and saw an enormous pyramid outlined by twilight and blotting out the sun. A stupid grin stretched across his face as he began to trip over the ground and his own feet in his rush to get closer. The trees grew thinner as he ran further and noises in the distance grew louder. He stumbled and fell forward onto his face at the edge of the forest, and a few people rushed to help him.

They stopped when a huge man barked at them to keep their distance. Shen tried to push himself to his feet, but the best he could manage was to stay mostly steady on all fours. He did not even have enough strength to lift his head, so he stared at the ground as footsteps approached him.

"Why have you come here?" a deep voice sounded as the butt of a spear appeared in Shen's vision. Summoning the last of his energy, Shen held his hand forward, a small flame in his palm. With that done, he collapsed, unconscious.

"If he does not wake up today, then he is gone, do I make myself clear?"

"Oh hush, we're not throwing him out to be eaten by lion vultures!"

"Need I remind you that the emperor does not take kindly to disregarding direct orders?"

"The emperor can shove his orders up his—Oh, look! It seems our friend is awake!"

Shen's nose was assaulted by a stench powerful enough to send a platypus bear scurrying away in fear. He tried to pull away, but his body was weak and unresponsive, so the best he could do was swat feebly at whatever was offending his senses. He felt a warm, soft touch on his fingers, so he forced his eyelids open one at a time. Standing over him were two very different people. One was a massive man with a hideously intricate mask that looked to be inspired by some strange cat creature.

The other person was a small woman in her mid-fifties holding a bowl of some soft brown thing that Shen assumed must have been what he had touched. He tried to speak, but his mouth was too dry so no sound came out.

"Shh," the woman silenced him, turning and making quite a bit of noise at a counter, "I'll get you fixed right up, dear. We'll have you firebending again in no time, don't you worry."

The huge man was silent the entire time, staring at Shen from behind the mask. The woman returned with a pitcher in one hand and a small clay cup in the other. She filled the cup with water and held it to Shen's mouth, who drank greedily. He emptied the cup three more times before he could finally make any noise.

"Thank you," Shen croaked, his voice hoarse and weak, "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

"You are very welcome dear," the woman smiled warmly, "Now tell us, what are you doing all the way out here?"

Shen laid back and took several deep breaths before answering. He held his hand out to the two of them, and a small flame sparked to life in his outstretched palm. "Fire," Shen croaked, gesturing dumbly at the fire, "Learn," he poked roughly at his own chest, "Me."

"He came to learn proper firebending," the old woman turned to speak to the huge man, "Go fetch one of the messengers, send them to the elders. Tell them there is a new student in the city."

"The elders will not stand for some unknown stranger to be taught our ways," the huge man protested.

"The elders will stand for anything I command of them," the old woman said sharply. The huge man brought a closed fist to his chest and begrudgingly left.

An hour later, the huge man returned with a small, frightened looking boy in tow. He pointed silently at Shen, and the boy rushed forward. The boy knelt without meeting Shen's gaze and spoke hurriedly, "The elders have assented to the Mother's request. The stranger will be allowed to learn under Master Rou, provided he earns the master's approval."

Without another word, the boy stood and left, the woman staring daggers at his back. When she turned to face Shen, however, she was grinning wide.

"Isn't that wonderful, dear?" she said with a toothy smile, "Once you're ready, you can go and speak with Master Rou about your training."

"No," Shen grunted, trying to raise himself into a sitting position, "Have to go now."

"You may go tomorrow," the old woman said forcefully, pushing him back down, "If I think you are ready."

Shen sighed and laid still as the woman began to make tea where he couldn't see. He laid still for several hours more as the sun rose and fell in the window above his head, and he laid still as restful sleep overtook him when the stars were glittering in the sky.

Shen awoke to a silent dawn early the next morning. A dull ache permeated throughout his entire body, which was only worsened when he moved. He slowly struggled to his feet, fighting his protesting muscles the entire way. When he was finally standing, he began to stretch and loosen his tired body. He had just finished when he was startled by the old woman watching him silently.

"What are you doing awake so early?" Shen asked when he had regained his composure.

"I could ask you the same question," the woman chuckled, "And I'm old. Old people wake up early."

"I didn't really think about that," Shen admitted uncomfortably.

"Most people don't," the old woman shrugged and then grinned, "You'll want to get going if you still plan on meeting with Master Rou. Look for the green house with the red roof. Knock twice and then enter."

"Thank you," Shen bowed quickly and ran out the door. He jogged through the streets, constantly turning for his head looking for the building the old woman had told him about. The sun had peeked fully over the horizon as he found the house. He approached the door and knocked twice, and the door swung open apparently on its own. Shen looked around cautiously before stepping inside.

"Hello?" Shen called into the darkness, "I'm looking for Master Rou?" Shen took a few more steps and a wispy man with a wispier mustache appeared in front of him.

"Why do you seek the Master Rou?" the wispy man asked.

"He's supposed to teach me fire… stuff." Shen tried to explain with vague arm movements. The man before him raised one eyebrow and examined him without a change of expression. Shen stood watching the man for several minutes without speaking. Finally, the man bowed so low his head almost touched the floor.

"Please follow me," the wispy man turned and began walking away immediately, with Shen close behind him. The man led him down a winding maze of hallways until they reached a narrow, rickety staircase hidden in shadows in the already dark building.

"The master is upstairs," the wispy man said, bowing once more and leaving Shen alone at the foot of the staircase. Shen took a few seconds to steady his nerves and swallow his fear. He took the stairs one at a time, taking care that he did not trip on any of them. Silence greeted him as he reached the top of the stairs. He looked around and saw that he was in the center of a single huge room sparsely lit by low-burning candles.

"What do you want?!" a voice shouted from somewhere Shen could not see.

"I'm here to speak with Master Rou," Shen said quickly, "He is supposed to be my master."

"I am Rou," a man appeared in front of Shen. He was nearly a head shorter than Shen, and he was bald, save for a swath of thinning hair that wrapped around his head just above his ears. He was wearing a gown that appeared to be several sizes too small, as it hardly covered his protruding belly. In one hand he held a glass bottle without any markings.

"I am Shen, Master Rou," Shen bowed in deference to his new master, who waved the gesture away with his free hand.

"A master needs students," the fat man condescended, "I am supposed to have three, and you are not one of them, therefore I cannot be a master."

"But, the elders said that—" Shen began to protest when Rou interrupted him.

"I do not now," the fat man growled, "nor will I ever care what the elders say. Until I decide that you are my student, you will not be my student, regardless of who sent you to me."

"Then what do I need to do to prove myself?" Shen asked immediately.

"To start, you can shut up, leave, and never come back," Rou laughed cruelly, "I take no students save those I choose personally. And apparently," he gestured around at the empty room, "The students do not take me as a master." He turned and began to walk away, taking a large swig from his bottle as he went.

"There must be something I can do," Shen persisted, following Rou into the gloom.

"If you're so determined to not live up to my expectations," the fat man sighed before turning back to face Shen, "Then find Izo, Halon, and Natsuo and bring them here. I'll be waiting."

"As you command, Master Rou," Shen bowed eagerly and sprinted back down the stairs and through the maze of hallways below. He rushed through the open door and began to run down the street calling out the names of Rou's missing students. The sun had already risen high into the sky by the time he found the first student.

"I'm Izo," a young boy with wild brown hair stepped forward when Shen called his name for the umpteenth time. He was scrawny and sleepy looking, and Shen grabbed him by his shirt and began to drag him back to the house with the red roof.

"Hey, where are you taking me?" the boy protested and fought, but Shen was much stronger than him, and he quickly submitted.

"You're going to tell me where Halon and Natsuo are," Shen commanded after Izo had stopped complaining. The boy looked at him with a stunned expression as he worked through what he had been told.

"Why would I do that when you just kidnapped me?"

"Because I can't start my training unless I get you and Halon and Natsuo back to Master Rou," Shen explained quickly, "And trust me, I need this training. Now where are they?"

"Whoa, hold on," Izo laughed, "We stopped going to our training weeks ago. Master Rou is terrible. We didn't want to deal with him. None of us even met the prerequisites for Rou's instruction."

"Then why did he send me to get you?" Shen asked no one in particular, and then began to walk away angrily.

"Wait!" Izo called after him, "You said Rou wanted me, Halon and Natsuo? Just us? There weren't any more names?"

"No, just you three," Shen said.

"Rou had thirty candidates quit on his regimen," the boy said, which only added to Shen's confusion.

"Well," Shen scratched his head, trying to fight off the impending migraine, "Why would I only have to find three?"

"Maybe he thought we were the best three," Izo offered, "Or maybe he just wanted to waste your time, or he wanted us to tell you how bad of a teacher he is."

"Is he really that bad?" Shen asked.

"No one actually knows but the elders," Izo explained, "Rou hasn't had an actual student in decades. No one has met his standards."

"He hasn't rejected me yet," Shen said slyly, "Alright, you're taking me to find Halon and Natsuo, and I'm going to become Rou's next student."

"Look, as long as you don't start dragging me again, I'll do whatever you say," Izo said.

The two of them sat and brainstormed for the next half hour as Izo suggested places where they might find the other students. When they had decided on where they would search, Izo and Shen began to comb the city for Halon and Natsuo.

They found Halon gambling on dice in an alley. He ran when he saw Izo, but Shen quickly caught and subdued him. They had to tie his hands behind his back to keep him from escaping after he got away once, and they had to stuff a rag in his mouth to keep him from shouting obscenities at them.

Natsuo agreed to go willingly when they found her, though Shen could tell it was out of fear of what they had to do with Halon. The four made their way back to the house with the red roof, through the twisting hallways and up the stairs.

"Rou!" Shen called, and the fat man stumbled out of the darkness still in his ill-fitting gown, one hand rubbing his temple, the other holding a glass bottle.

"Well I'll be damned," Rou breathed when he saw the four of them, "You actually did it, kid." He looked around for a few seconds before setting the bottle down and walking swiftly away and shouting, "Wait here, I'll be back."

The four of them waited in silence for several minutes. Halon made no move to get away, as he was on his knees now with his feet bound by rope as well. Natsuo stared at the floor the entire time and shuddered whenever Shen's gaze came too close to her. Izo looked around curiously and Shen tapped his foot impatiently the entire time.

Rou returned about half an hour later with two masked men in tow, still in his gown, though it looked as if it had been pulled tighter around his belly. He gestured to Halon on the floor, and the masked men took him away silently. Rou clumsily climbed into a pair of loose fitting pants with his back to the remaining three of them, and then turned back with rosy red cheeks when he was finished.

"Halon was a criminal, in case you're wondering," he explained, "I fetched those guards to take him to wherever criminals go. As for the rest of you, we have business to take care of, while it is still light. Follow closely, and don't get lost."


	3. Chapter 3

Dusk stretched over the city as Rou walked purposefully through the streets. Shen and Izo followed at a comfortable distance, and Natsuo lagged behind nervously. The crowds had thinned, and men made their way down each road, lighting lanterns with little spurts of fire from their fingertips.

"Where are we going?" Shen asked loud enough for Rou to hear, but he did not answer. They continued walking in silence until they reached the edge of the city, where tree branches hung over a small, worn path into the forest. Rou stopped before entering, and turned to face the three of them, now lined up behind him.

"I trust one of them has told you about my methods?" Rou addressed Shen.

"Well, not exactly," Shen scratched at the back of his head, shrugging his shoulders. Rou's eyes moved to Izo and narrowed.

"Do any of you know what we are doing here?" Rou asked after a few moments of silence. Shen did nothing, and Izo and Natsuo shook their heads. Rou groaned and rolled his eyes in response.

"Each time the elders send me a batch of hopeful students," Rou began explaining, "I put them through a rigorous evaluation of their abilities and their potential. Izo, Natsuo, and Halon were the only ones out of all thirty assigned to me who managed to display the qualities I seek in my students. You," Rou gestured to Shen, "were lucky enough to catch me in a good mood. I was also impressed that you actually found the other three."

"Halon, as I told you earlier, was a criminal. Theft, burglary, illegal gambling, and smuggling contraband throughout the city. Such behaviors will not be tolerated if any of you become my students."

"But I thought we already were your students?" Izo said, raising his hand.

"Not officially," Rou corrected him, "Now, I'll ask one more time: Do any of you know what we are doing here?"

"Is it another test?" Shen ventured after no one else said anything.

"In a manner of speaking," Rou grinning menacingly, "We are going to visit my old master. He is going to speak with each of you individually, and then with me. And then I decide who officially becomes my student."

Without another word, Rou turned and began walking down the dirt path. Shen, Natsuo, and Izo had to jog to keep him in sight, and Shen had to duck to keep from hitting his head on the branches. The path stretched and wound through the forest, twisting and turning into a jumbled maze that did not seem to bother Rou at all. It took them half an hour or more to reach a small, rocky clearing, and the sun had almost set completely by that time.

Shen glanced behind him and froze in awe of what he saw. Laid out before him was the entire city, littered with tiny, glowing torches no bigger than fireflies. He turned back to the clearing and realized that they were standing on the slope of a mountain that sheltered the city. Below them, the huge pyramids that dominated the valley looked insignificant.

"Quite the view, isn't it?" Rou said from behind Shen. Shen turned to watch Rou snap his fingers and light four torches that illuminated the little rocky clearing.

"It's incredible," Shen said breathlessly. Rou smiled and sat down cross-legged in front of them, directly between two of the torches. He said nothing and his eyes were closed for some time. When the first star appeared in the sky, he opened his eyes and looked at each of them in turn.

"The master is through that pass there," Rou pointed to a narrow crack in the rock, just wide enough for a person to slip through, "Follow the path until you reach a cave. That is where you will find the master. Natsuo will go first, then Shen, and then Izo. Once Izo returns, I will go and speak to the master myself. While I am gone, none of you will speak," Rou's face grew dark as he spoke, "Not a single word. Is that understood?"

Shen, Izo, and Natsuo all nodded at once. Rou beckoned to Natsuo, and she stood and disappeared amongst the rocks. The remaining three men were silent while they waited. Rou meditated silently, his face motionless and blank. Shen tried to be patient, but he soon grew fidgety, and his eyes wandering often. He looked at Izo expecting to see the same, but Izo stared intently at the ground, his fists clenched tightly on his knees and sweat forming on his forehead.

Nearly an hour after she had first left, Natsuo stumbled back through the rocks, her face pale and her chin trembling. She found her spot beside Shen and sat motionless, without saying a word. Rou opened his eyes and met Shen's gaze instantly. Shen numbly rose to his feet and moved toward the path in the rocks. He slid through the gap and slowly made his way along the narrow pass. After about five minutes of uncomfortable walking, the path opened up and a dark cave appeared about thirty yards in front of him. He took a step toward it and a hideous heat poured from the darkness. Shen fell to his knees in fear and watched helplessly as a gargantuan serpentine body slid out of the cave and into view.

The dragon reared up before him, its scales glittering in the starlight, blue and purple and red. The great beast pondered Shen for a moment before lowering its head and sniffing him tentatively. Each of its eyes were the size of Shen's head, and its fangs looked to be a foot long apiece. Shen gazed at his doom as tears rolled unbidden down his face. He bowed low, silently begging for his end to be quick. He heard the dragon rear back, and the slither of its scales on earth as it coiled its body to strike. Then, nothing happened.

After a moment, Shen lifted his head slowly, and saw the dragon sitting and looking at him, its tail coiled up beneath it. The dragon stretched it swing occasionally, but otherwise it did not move.

"You're not going to kill me?" Shen asked through a dry throat as he carefully lifted himself up.

The dragon leaned forward and a thin jet of flame leapt from its mouth, igniting a small fire pit beneath it. Shen gazed at the dancing, multicolored flames and understanding took hold.

"You're Rou's master," Shen laughed in spite of himself, "And you know who I am."

The dragon nodded and the flames changed. A figure appeared in them, dancing and casting fire out of his arms. His movements changed, and the fire too on the shape of stones and rocks, and then gaps appeared that Shen knew represented wind, and then the fire took on a fluid motion and became like water. The flames returned to their normal appearance and Shen looked up at the dragon.

"Are you going to tell him?" Shen asked, fear still in his voice. The dragon returned Shen's gaze, but nothing changed. Shen glanced back at the fire and felt compelled to rise to his feet.

"I'm sure you already knew this," Shen began, "But I had hoped to keep it a secret until I was gone. If they know I'm the Avatar, then they'll expect me to help with their problems. I can't do that. I just wanted a simple life. I never wanted to be the Avatar, or to come out here to talk to a dragon, or to have to help everyone. Yet here I am, doing exactly what I said I wouldn't a year ago."

The dragon nodded knowingly, and the fire in front of it faded to glowing embers. Shen bowed deeply and returned to the clearing where Rou sat peacefully. Izo stood as Shen sat, and then they waited for another half hour while Izo spoke with the dragon. When Izo finally returned, Rou stood and disappeared into the rocks. The sky above them glittered with thousands of stars, and Shen's eyelids drooped with exhaustion. He jerked himself awake multiple times while Rou was gone, but he said nothing.

For nearly two hours, Shen fought off sleep, while Izo and Natsuo did the same on either side of him. Izo had little success, and was snoring softly very quickly. Shen did not notice when Rou had returned, but he opened his eyes at some point to see that Natsuo was no longer with them, and Rou was standing before the remaining two. He was staring hard at Shen, who was too fatigued to care.

"How long have you known?" Rou said, just loud enough to be audible. Shen swallowed heavily and tried to gather his thoughts.

"Almost a year," Shen answered, "I found out two days after my sixteenth birthday."

"From now on, there will be no more secrets," Rou whispered dangerously, and then snapped, "Izo!"

Izo, who had dozed off long ago, snapped awake, mumbling to himself. When he saw Rou standing in front of him, his entire body tensed, and he did not meet the master's gaze.

"Now that everyone is awake," Rou grimaced as he began speaking, "I have spoken with Kun, and have decided that you two will become my students. Natsuo did not have the qualities that I desire, so she has been sent to train with another master."

"While you two are my students," Rou continued, "You will reside in my home, and shall do whatever I tell you, whenever I tell you. I will promise you that this training will be difficult, and you may hate me by the end of it. I will also promise you that, should you complete it, your skills will be unparalleled when you are done. Do you accept?"

"I do," Shen and Izo said in unison, bowing before Rou.

"Very well," Rou smiled ever so slightly, "We will return to the city now." Rou began walking away, and his students followed earnestly. Their trek through the forest took significantly longer than the first time, since they could not see the ground beneath them. When they finally left the trees behind, Shen and Izo were covered with nicks and scratches, but Rou was completely unscathed. They hurried through the vacant streets as the stars twinkled high above them. When they finally arrived at the house with the red roof, Izo and Shen were ready to collapse. Rou led them through the maze of hallways and back up into the large empty room on the second floor. Laid out before them were two mats.

"You will sleep here," Rou turned to face his students, "Your training begins at dawn. I strongly recommend you get some rest."

Rou walked back down the stairs, leaving Shen and Izo alone in the room. Izo quickly claimed one of the sleeping bags and fell asleep instantly. Shen laid down for a while, listening to his new friend's breathing before sleep took him as well.


	4. Chapter 4

"Wake up now!"

Shen snapped bolt upright, his eyes unfocused and frantic. A few seconds later, he managed to notice Rou standing in front of him, wearing that too small robe. He took a long swig from a bottle in his right hand, kicked at Izo's feet and then shouted again.

"On your feet, now! We've got a long day ahead of us."

"Are you already drinking?" Shen rubbed the sleep out of his eyes, "The sun's just now coming up."

"Like I said," Rou growled, "It's going to be a long day. Izo, if you do not wake up in the next three seconds, you won't sleep for a week."

Izo lifted himself into a sitting position, one of his eyes still closed, the other only half aware. Rou took another drink from the bottle and began walking around the room, lighting each candle he passed. When he returned to his two students, they were both standing, Izo swaying slightly. Rou grimaced and shook his head, taking yet another drink.

"It's going to be a very long day," he muttered, before shouting, "Horse stance, now!"

Shen and Izo both bent their knees and assumed the stance, but Rou snarled and snapped at them quickly, "Too slow. Both of you, fifty push-ups."

Shen and Izo both grumbled in unison, dropping to the floor to begin their push-ups. Shen finished well ahead of Izo, and stood waiting for him to stand up again. When they were both on their feet, Rou looked them up and down for a few moments before shouting at them again, "Horse stance!"

The two students moved to position much quicker than before, and Rou seemed satisfied with their speed. He studied their stances and body positions for a while without speaking.

"Shen," Rou broke the silence, "Your push-up form is sloppy. The next time you do it, I expect your nose to touch the ground. Izo, yours was even worse; you need to keep your hands below your shoulders, and wider than them as well. For the rest of the day, you two will work on breath control."

"You will maintain the horse stance," Rou continued, "You will inhale through your nose and exhale through your mouth. Your exhalation should take exactly twice as long as each inhalation, which will last no longer than ten seconds, and no shorter than five. Begin."

Rou turned his back on them then, and sat in down in front of them. He crossed his legs, took a long drink from his bottle and was still. Shen and Izo stood with their knees bent and backs straight, breathing in and out consistently for the next seven hours. Every time one of them would speak to Rou, they were greeted with silence. Finally, Rou stood and left the large room, returning a few moments later with the wispy man in tow. The wispy man carried a tray laden with food and drink. He followed Rou to in front of the students, and laid the tray down on the floor.

"Finally, I'm starving," Izo said, taking a step forward. In an instant, Rou was directly in front of him, one hand on his chest. Rou moved his arm, and Izo flew backwards, landing solidly on his back.

"Fifty push-ups," Rou said, a dark look on his face. Shen watched the entire event without moving, but he could feel sweat falling down his face. Izo growled, but began doing his push-ups. Rou returned to where he had sat before, and began eating. When Izo had finished his push-ups, Rou spoke without looking at him.

"Resume your breathing, Izo," his voice was gentle but unkind, and food muffled his words. For several hours more, Izo and Shen said and did nothing but breath and maintain the horse stance. When the sunlight no longer shone through the single window, the wispy man returned with another tray, this one much lighter in its burden.

On the tray was a pitcher of water, two cups, half a loaf of bread, and two bowls of stew. The wispy man set the tray down in between Rou and his students, who made no move to eat. After another minute or two, Rou stood and spoke to Shen and Izo.

"You may relax now," he said, looking at both of them, "This was a good first day. This food is for you. We will resume in the morning, at first light. I suggest you eat and rest, for tomorrow will not be any easier than today was."

Rou and the wispy man descended the stairs, and the sound of their footsteps quickly disappeared. Izo dropped to his knees and began trembling, and crawled towards the food. Shen stumbled forward on heavy legs and sat beside the tray.

Izo ate his food ravenously, tearing at the bread with his teeth and swallowing huge gulps of water. Shen ate much more slowly, taking time to savor the admittedly bland food. When he had slowed down, Izo spoke to Shen in between bites.

"Do you think it's going to be like this every day?" Izo asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"He said it's not going to get easier," Shen reminded him bitterly, "So I can't say it won't. We should probably get some sleep."

Shen tried to stand, but his muscles were stiff and unresponsive. It took him several minutes to reach his sleeping bag, and he did not have the energy or the coordination to open it. He instead elected to simply lie on top of it, and Izo quickly did the same. He closed his eyes, and sleep quickly overtook him.

Their training continued in much the same way for the next three days, with Rou sitting in front of them while they breathed in the horse stance. Anytime one of them moved out of turn, Rou made them do an increasing number of push-ups. By the end of their third day of training, Izo was up to two hundred and fifty push-ups per transgression. Each day, the wispy man brought up a tray full of food for lunch that only Rou could eat.

On the fourth day, when Rou went to fetch the wispy man for lunch, he did not return with him. Instead, the wispy man set the tray on the floor, where it went untouched for several minutes. After half an hour of smelling the food, both of their stomachs were growling audibly.

"That's it," Izo said finally, "I'm tired of going hungry." He fell to his knees beside the tray and began devouring the food, not bothering with utensils. He gorged himself for nearly five minutes, and no one had interrupted him. Shen took a single step when Rou's voice echoed throughout the room.

"Izo! Three hundred push-ups! Shen, one hundred fifty push-ups!"

Rou appeared at the top of the stairs, and Shen and Izo snarled and began doing their push-ups. When they had finished, they resumed their breathing exercises, and Rou sat back down and finished the rest of the food.

That night, when the wispy man returned with their dinner, there was only enough food for one person.

"Master Rou," Shen spoke up quickly, "There's not enough food there for both of us."

"I know," Rou smirked mischievously, "Izo has already eaten today. That food is for Shen, who had enough self-control to at least wait until Izo would be guilty to step forward."

Shen did not respond, but he could feel Izo's gaze on him. He approached the tray as Rou left the room and meagerly began to eat. He could hear Izo walking unsteadily to his sleeping bag and laying down behind him. After Shen had finished eating, he made his way to his own sleeping bag and laid down, all the while refusing to look at Izo. He shut his eyes and fell asleep quickly, his thoughts full of bitterness and confusion and tasteless stew.

The fifth day of their training began just as all the others had, with Rou waking them up and ordering them into horse stance. He sat with his back to them for an hour without speaking, and then addressed them both.

"Shen, Izo," Rou spoke, not turning around, "What do you think these exercises have been about?"

"Lording your power over us, no doubt," Izo muttered too quiet for Rou to hear. Shen's gaze moved between Izo in the corner of his eye to Rou in front of him.

"Nothing?" Rou said after a few more moments of silence, "I'm disappointed. I would have thought the Avatar could have figured it out."

"What? The Avatar?" Izo repeated softly, but not breaking his stance.

"How old are the two of you?" Rou continued.

"Twelve," Izo answered, not right away.

"Seventeen," Shen said.

"And here I thought you had enough brainpower between the two of you to figure it out," Rou laughed to himself, and then said nothing for the rest of the day. He did not return for lunch again, but neither of them moved to eat the food, and before too long the wispy man returned and took the untouched tray away. They continued in silence for the rest of the day, and at dinner time, the wispy man brought enough food for both of them again.

Shen and Izo both ate slowly and in silence, Shen trying to puzzle out the answer to Rou's question and Izo trying to understand what Rou had meant by 'Avatar.' They both went to sleep tired and occupied.

The next morning began like all of the others had. After an hour of breathing, Rou spoke to the two of them again.

"Anything new?"

"It's about discipline," Shen answered immediately, still in horse stance, "Discipline and self-control."

"Very good," Rou said, "You will continue until lunch."

At lunch time, the wispy man brought the tray up as before, but this time it had almost double the normal amount of food on it. He set it down between Rou and the students, and then left. Rou spun around and gestured to the food.

"Eat," he said, before beginning to eat himself. Shen and Izo both attacked the food ravenously, hardly daring to slow down even to breathe. Before long, the food was gone and Rou sat watching the two of them silently.

"I'm sure you two are wondering why I've had you doing these simple exercises for the last few days," Rou said at last.

"Something like that," Izo remarked quietly, not meeting Rou's gaze. Rou turned his head to look at Izo with a curious smile on his lips.

"Do you have something more to say, Izo?" Rou asked.

"No, Master Rou," Izo said bitterly, "I don't."

"I thought not," Rou grunted, and then continued, "Discipline and breath and body control are essential in firebending."

"Firebending?" Shen interrupted.

"Yes, firebending," Rou laughed contemptuously, "That is what I am here to teach you. We call it that, because we bend the fire to our will. It is the same with earthbenders and earth. Did you truly not know that?"

"No," Shen admitted slowly, "I didn't."

"Some avatar," Rou muttered sardonically. Shen met Izo's suspicious glance out of the corner of his eye, and looked back to see Rou smirking at the silent exchange. During the quiet, the wispy man returned and carried the empty tray back down the stairs without a word.

"Before we continue," Rou broke the uneasy silence a few moments later, "There are some things that you need to know. You will not be firebending for some time. Not until I deem you ready. Until then, I will have you improve your breath and stance control, and sparring. In the mornings, you will do horse stance breathing until lunch time, and then in the afternoons you will spar with each other, using techniques that I will show to you. The evenings are free for you to do what you will."

"Now, about fire. Fire is the element of power, and represents life, desire, and will. It is the most aggressive of the four elements, but also the most destructive. If you do not control it, the fire will control you. If you do exactly as I say, that will not happen. The key to firebending properly is precise, accurate, fast movements. You must have a strong base but you must be quick and agile as well."

The wispy man returned once more, this time carrying two sets of sparring pads in his arms. Izo and Shen saw the grin on Rou's face and shared a quick, frightened glance. It took a few minutes to get them both geared up and ready.

"When you are both ready," Rou said, "The first to be knocked off his feet is the loser. Begin."


End file.
